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B.A. DEGREE WITH A MAJOR IN LIBERAL STUDIES

Coordinator: Dr. Sunita Manian

Liberal Studies is a major in the College of Arts and Sciences that is designed for students who prefer a broader and more varied approach to learning than that of the traditional single-discipline major. It is appropriate for students who plan to do graduate study in fields that require no specific major or that encourage interdisciplinary undergraduate study. It is also designed for those students whose educational objectives are intellectual and personal growth and enrichment.

ADMISSION

The Liberal Studies major is open by admission only. Since students wishing to pursue this major are seeking freedom from the requirements normally set by disciplinary majors, they must demonstrate their academic maturity by meeting the following admission requirements.

1. The student must have completed a minimum of 30 semester hours.
2. The student must have a minimum cumulative academic grade point average of 3.3.
3. The student must identify one or more advisors (referred to as Program Advisors) drawn from the disciplines included in the Program of Study, who will provide them with guidance required to complete their Program of Study.
4. The student must submit and have accepted a prospectus formed in three parts: (1) a list of a minimum of 2 disciplines to be used in the major; (2) a list of courses and time-line for taking the courses, developed in consultation with the program advisor(s) and approved by the Department Chair of the disciplines represented in the student's major of study; (3) a typed essay of 500-750 words in length describing why the student has chosen this program of study, how (s)he plans to coordinate the disciplines and why. The prospectus must be approved by the Coordinator before the student can be admitted to the major. Any changes of disciplines or courses listed must be approved by the program advisors and registered with the Coordinator.

Students must take 18 hours at the 1000-2000 level in addition to those taken in Areas A-E above, distributed as follows:

1. IDST 2xxx/GC2Y course approved by the Coordinator in addition to the GC2Y course taken in Area B.
2. Humanities (3-9 hours): ARTS, DANC, ENGL, FREN, GRMN, JAPN, LING, MFLG, MSCM, MUED, MUSC, PHIL, RELI, RHET, RUSS, SPAN, THEA.
3. Social Sciences (3-9 hours): AFST, ANTH, BLST, CRJU, ECON, GEOG, HIST, INST, POLS, PSYC, SOCI, WMST.
4. Natural Sciences and Math (3-9 hours): ASTR, BIOL, CHEM, CSCI, ENSC, GEOG, GEOL, MATH, PHYS.

Note: When selecting from the natural sciences (ASTR, BIOL, CHEM, ENSC, GEOG, GEOL, PHYS), both the lecture course and the companion laboratory course (when it exists) must be successfully completed to apply the credits from either course to this degree requirement.

(Any transfer student who has not completed the courses in Area F, or their equivalents, must take these courses at GC.)

Upper -level hours to be taken 2 or more distinct disciplines, determined in consultation with the program advisors and the department chairs of the disciplines represented, and approved by the Liberal Studies coordinator. A minimum of 15 hours is required in 1 discipline and a minimum of 9 hours in another discipline.

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